Container opener



J n- 31, 19 E. RADER 2,969,591

CONTAINER OPENER Original Filed Aug. 1, 1957 INVENTOR EUGENE RADER ATTORNEYS ed W 99 1 70.

2,969,591 CONTAINER OPENER Eugene Rader, 21 ClarksvilleSL, Paris, Tex.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 675,581, Aug. 1, 1957. This application Oct. 9, 1958, Ser.'No.766,345

2 Claims. 01. -16) This "is a continuation" of my copen'ding application Serial No. 675 ,5 81, nowaban'doned.

This invention relates to openers forclose'dcontainers, such as bottles,'cans"and"thelike.

Conventional can and bottle openers, particularly openers for cylindrical metallic cans, are not readily adapted to be carried in ones' clothing-or in'fabric receptacles' f'or example, inasmuch as their "sharp-pointed cutting edges are customarily exposed and could therefore cause damage. Hence, people-do not normally keep can openersin their possession when traveling. Understandably, this may very well produce the inconvenience and frustration of not able to open acontainer when the contents thereof are desired.

In order to overcome the foregoing, as well other disadvantages of theprior art, it is an important object of th'eiipresent inventiontoprovide-a new and improvedcontainer opener particularly adapted to be safely kept in an accessible position for convenient use when one is traveling. A related object resides in the provision of a container opener including novel arrangement for protecting or shielding the sharp cutting edges on the opener when not in use.

It is a further and more specific object to design a container opener and protective cover or cap therefor so that they may be conveniently and detachably engaged to a suitable base or handle. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the container opener and cap are engaged to an automobile cigarette lighter plug whereby the resulting structure serves the useful purpose of providing the user, when motoring, with a container opener at his finger tips.

A still further object resides in the provision of a novel, simplified, inexpensive and sturdy container opener.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The novel features of the invention may be best made clear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a container opener of the invention, shown in an exemplary embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the opener of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 but with certain structure removed for illustrative purposes, and showing a modification of one of the parts of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 4--4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a View corresponding to Figure 1 but with certain portions of the device in vertical section for illustrative purposes; and

Figure 6 is an elevational view showing the device of Figure 1 being used to open a can.

Referring now to the drawing, a container opening device 10 of the invention is constructed with a first porindicated in that figure. 20

2,999,591 Ce ,leierfeiiis?315 9?! tion 1 2 and a second-portion 14, clearly shown'in Figures 3- andfS. Portion I-Z preferably is made of metal orother suitablem'aterial, and as shown, is in the form of a cylindrical shank connected at one end to second "portion 14 and'ha'ving container openingmeans at the other end thereof, the second 'portion 1'4 serving'as handle means for the opener; The container opening means includes a flat'bevel surface 16 at one'end'of tending'froin'a point on s'aid'bevel surface adjacent the Converging side edges 18 define a V -shaped tip" and'are disposedbetween'the'surface 16 and the recess "20, as "shewn' in' As is evidengfthe convergingside edges '1'8 are intended to cooperate with thea'dj'acentpoint'and recess 20 for puncturing the flat endwall of a container, such as that identified'by 'n'um'eral 22 in Figure 5, in the manner It should be apparent that this opening rriearismay also be capable of opening other corit'airierconstructions. Moreover, it will be understood that'any desired structure may be utilizedat the free-endof sh'ar1lC1'2, in lieu of thatjust described. For

example, the recess 20 may be suitably'altered so that it will uncap certaintypes of containers, such'asglass bottles having crown-type caps. Or, if desired, thesharik IZ-m'ay befo'rmed with more than one container opening nieansthereon, As shown in Figure 3, for instance, a second "recess 24 maybe arrangedintermediate the ends of shank-12 for removing crown c'apsfror'n' closed containe'rs, such as bottles.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for simply and conveniently attaching the first portion or shank 12 to the second portion or base 14 and for enclosing or covering the cutting edges or sharp points of the container opening means on the shank. As shown in Figure 5, the means for securing the first 12 and second 1-4 portions of the device preferably includes a threaded stud 26 on shank 12 and adapted to be engaged in threaded hole 28 in portion 14. Stud 26 and hole 28 may, of course, be reversed so that stud 26 is on portion 14, if desired. However, for reasons to be apparent hereinbelow, stud 26 preferably is formed on shank 12, as shown.

The means for covering the cutting edges on the shank preferably includes a detachable protective cap 30. This cap may be cylindrical, as shown, having an open and a closed end, and it may be made of any suitable material. In a practical embodiment, cap 30 is constructed of a transparent and relatively rigid plastic and adapted to have advertising material or the like arranged thereon. For detachably holding cap 30 in position, a cup-shaped member 32 of suitable material preferably is arranged at the base of shank 12, having stud 26 extend through the web thereof, as seen in Figure 5, and with the side walls thereof extending toward the end surface 16. Any desired arrangement may be utilized for detachably securing cap 30 to cup 32. For example, the cap and the cup may be constructed so that their side walls are in tight frictional engagement with each other, or a bayonet type locking joint may be employed.

In the aforesaid practical embodiment, the cup 32 is constructed of a plastic material more resilient than the cap 30, with the side walls of the cup, as shown in Figure 5, disposed laterally outwardly of the shank a sufficient distance to define therewith an annular recess for receiving the open end of cap 30. Still referring to the practical embodiment, the internal diameter of the cup side walls preferably is slightly less than the outer diameter of the cap side walls, and a small notch 34 is formed in the cup side wall, as shown in Figures 1-4-,

By virtue of such an arrangement, insertion of the cap into the cup is facilitated (since notch 34 facilitates spreading of the cup side walls) and the cap is securely and firmly held in position by the elastic gripping action of the resilient side walls of the cup. The side walls of the cup 32 and cap 30, as is obvious, can be arranged so that the latter side walls embrace the former, instead of as shown.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention provides a container opening device of simple, inexpensive and easily constructed parts and including adequate protection for the user from the possibly harmful cutting edges when the device is not in use. In this regard, the holding means for the protective cap 30 will be seen to enable it to be readily attached to and detached from the device.

I have found that it is possible to embody the invention in a highly useful and advantageous construction. As illustrated in the drawing, the second portion 14 may be a conventional automobile cigarette lighter plug having an electrical resistance element at one end 36 thereof. As is understood, such lighter plugs normally have a threaded hole at the other end thereof for engagement to a finger knob. By properly dimensioning stud 26 of first portion 12, said portion can be substituted for the finger knob of any conventional automobile cigarette lighter plug. Figure 1 shows such a substitution, with the lighter plug 14 disposed in its socket 38 (shown in phantom lines) in back of the usual automobile dashboard 40, with the shank 12 and enclosing cap 30 projecting outwardly of the dashboard for manipulation of the lighter when use of the latter is desired. Alternately, when it is desired to use the container opener, the plug 14 will serve as handle means therefor. Conveniently, a container opener will therefore be made constantly available to motorists whether on the road or parked, for example, at a recreation site.

The present invention will thus be seen to completely and efiectively accomplish the objects enumerated hereinabove. It will be realized, however, that various changes and substitutions may be made to the specific embodiments disclosed herein for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention, without departing from these principles. Therefore, thisinvention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container opener of the type described comprising: a solid cylindrical shank of uniform circular crosssection throughout its length; a single flat bevel surface at one end of said shank; and means defining a recess in said shank extending from a point on said bevel surface adjacent the tip thereof toward the other end of said shank, said means partially intersecting said bevel surface to define a V-shaped tip between said bevel surface and said recess, and adapted to engage the bead of a conventional container to pierce the adjacent end wall thereof.

2. A container opener as defined in claim 1 wherein said shank is provided at its other end with a reduced diameter threaded stud for reception in a handle means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 155,314 Pessina Sept. 20, 1949 1,235,230 Myers July 31, 1917 2,090,085 Wegner Aug. 17, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 734,121 Great Britain July 27, 1955 

